STILIYAN Petrov will remain as club captain at Aston Villa, confirmed Paul Lambert.

STILIYAN Petrov will remain as club captain at Villa, confirmed Paul Lambert.

But the recently-appointed boss is on the look-out for a new team skipper to lead the claret and blues in the absence of the influential Bulgarian.

For the past three months Petrov has been fighting against acute leukaemia and football issues are the last thing on his mind.

Nevertheless, Lambert, a close pal of Villa’s players’ player-of-the-year from their time together at Celtic, insists he will retain the honour because of what he has produced for the football club over the past six seasons.

“Stiliyan is still club captain, no doubt,” he said. “Even if I wasn’t manager of Aston Villa, his health is more important to me than anything.

“I just need to look for a team captain but I wouldn’t take anything away from Stiliyan for what he’s done here and what he’s going through at the minute.

“He is a huge influence on this football club.”

Lambert feels Stan’s situation ‘makes a mockery out of life’ because he was always known as the fittest player in the squad when at Celtic Park.

The pair played in midfield together for eight years before the 32-year-old followed Martin O’Neill down to the Midlands.

The tragic story of his good friend is something Villa’s new boss can’t hide away from but he has promised to support Petrov in whatever way he can now the duo have been re-united.

“I will go down and see him again, I texted him to see how he’s feeling.

“A charity game is something I’d support against Celtic too.

“Anything that can help, I think we have to look at. We’re talking about someone’s life here.

“This is an illness that affects thousands of people and it’s hard because of the relationship I had with him.

“I played with him when he was only 19 and he first came to Scotland.

“I had eight or so years with him. That’s a long time to have someone as a team-mate. I just hope and I’m pretty sure he will beat that.

“I’ve always kept in touch with him. I didn’t know (about his illness).

“At the time I was told, we were on our way to Fulham (with Norwich). I was just devastated. I couldn’t believe it.

“When he was at Celtic, he was one of the fittest footballers I’d ever played with.

“It just makes a mockery of life, really, because of how fit he was.

“He’s such a strong lad and a terrific guy. Hopefully he’ll be okay and be here.

“It makes you sick, actually, when you have played with someone and seen them in their prime and are close to them then you know he has an illness like that.

“He was doing great and I’m looking forward to going back down to see him.”

Petrov was also sorely missed on the field last season as Villa were fortunate to avoid relegation under Alex McLeish.

The season started badly with the loss of key performers Stewart Downing and Ashley Young before injuries to the likes of Darren Bent and Richard Dunne made their task even tougher.

While Lambert will aid Petrov through his own personal battle, he too faces a fight to turn around the fortunes of the club that finished 16th in the Premier League with just 38 points and only four home wins.

Keeping hold of Villa’s top stars is a priority on his to-do list.

“I realise the players that they’ve lost have been huge footballers, they are international footballers I’d love to keep here. The ones we need.

“You need your big players to perform and drive the club. I think we have to prove we can keep them to give us a foothold. I will do everything I can to make this club as strong as it can be.

“I will do everything I can do to make the club better – you can never promise anything – but somewhere there’s a feeling of this is going to be a good place to be.”